Re: Official NEW Expansion Thread: Maryland reportedly going to B1G
Krazy, what is your opinion? Given how difficult this is getting do you think the SEC should go ahead push its membership from 14 to 20 and make a basketball play?
I don't thing you have to, or really should go beyond 16. 16 is pushing it as it is, the rest get really tricky. One (complicated) option is to add non-football schools. But, I think that the SEC just can't get too locked in on North Carolina and Virgina (the states). NC is by far the best possible addition from the ACC, but they are not the only program out there. For instance, if you wanted to pair them up with another basketball school, Cincinnati or Kansas are possibilities. I don't think you can give into two NC schools though, too much in the way of diminishing returns. It makes more sense for the Big 10 though, since they don't have a footprint around there.
The Big 10 conference has received applications for membership from UVA, UNC, and Georgia Tech while FSU, Clemson, UNC, NC State and Virginia Tech have contacted the SEC about potential membership.
The part in bold gives me a bit of hope.
Looks like Coach K was 100% correct..It will be weird when there's no longer an ACC..
It was weird when there was going to be no Big 12. Don't read too much into things yet.
The SEC needs to do whatever it takes to get North Carolina even if it means pairing them with NC St. or Duke. I realize two schools from the same state isn't desirable but if the Big Ten gets Virginia, North Carolina and GT its game over.
I have concern over any schools that can't get 40K fans to watch a football game. Duke bothers me, and I can't see their finaces so I'm in the dark. North Carolina is worth a ton, their teir three is worth more than NC St. and Virginia Tech combined. However, that state is going to be around 9.5 million in population whether or not you add one or two schools. You can go add Cincy and VT and you're reaching twice as many people. I'm not even saying those two are good additions but I think you get the point. Also, I don't think it's NC and Virginia or bust. Notre Dame is still out there, and you can round up a few other names that don't sound so terrible. Pitt and Cincy to name a few, and if you really wanted to make a reach for the sake of a TV network you take a look at Syracuse.
I guess my biggest question would be if the SEC would let the Big 12 take FSU and Clemson and get inroads for recruiting in the South? Too take mediocre schools like NCSU and VT just don't make sense from that standpoint.
The SEC dealt a blow to the Big 12 when they were able to move into their two most populated states. But, I do agree that if the SEC lets NC and Virginia go to the Big 10, and FSU and Clemson go to the Big 12, they'd look pretty stupid sitting there with just VT and NC State.
i am hearing slive and co. have had talks with unc about joining, so dont count unc and uva out yet. was reading some unc boards and their fans definitely prefer the sec. they are more like us than the b1g 10. they would have some good rivals with tenn, vandy, s carolina and even georgia. unc and uva have a long history and i hear they prefer the b1g 10. thinking those 2 will stick together, so slive needs to get after uva.
I don't trust Slive. He's made one good choice and a few bad ones, and he sounded really happy about the bad ones. Depending on who you believe, the guy might have prefered Oklahoma over A&M, and that indicates he might be bad at math to. My biggest concern is that he's helping the Big 10 land the biggest fish, just so the SEC can come in third place in the next round of expansion. That's stupid, he should not at all by flirting with VT right now. There is no benefit to it. He should zero in on NC, and see what NC wants. If he can find a way to appease them, and still move into another state he has to jump on it. Otherwise? The SEC is ok at 14, they don't need to topple the ACC unless they get to be the ones cherry picking.
The SEC has incentive to stall. If they can hold on on the next round until their network is up and running, then they can both make a better informed choice and they should be close to even with the Big 10 in revenue. If they lure away VT and in doing so let NC get away, it will be monumentally boneheaded.